Endless belt floor scrubbing machine with adjustable endless belt



Nov. 4, 1947. c. L'. OSENBAUGH 2,430,409

ENDLESS BELT FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE YWITH ADJUSTABLE ENDLESS BELT FiledJan; 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l 72 Him 9 73 Invenlo? y a AttorneysU/zesz'er 11056226021312 ullllmm C. L. OSENBAUGH Nov. 4, 1947.

ENDLESS BELT FLOOR- SCRUBBING MACHINE WITH ADJUSTABLE ENDLESS BELT FiledJan. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllll'lllllj I is i Patented Nov. 4,1947 OFFICE ENDLESS BELT FLOOR SCRUBBING MA- CHINE WITH ADJUSTABLEENDLESS BELT Chester L. Osenbaugh, Memphis, Tenn.

Application January 16, 1946, Serial No. 641,467

2 Claims. 1

My invention as described herein, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, consists of a floor washing machine, an object of which is toprovide mechanical means whereby a floor may be thoroughly cleaned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a floor scrubbing machineby means of which floors may be very rapidly cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for actuating anendless scrubbing cloth through a water tank and upon the floor surface.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my floor cleaner,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a front end elevational view of the device,

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Figure 2, a

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on line 6-5 of Figure 4.

While one embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the abovereferred to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely forthe purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction maybe resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the inventionmay be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances whichmay arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention ofmy device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appendedclaims. And while I have stated the primary field of utility of myinvention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any othercapacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, thesame referenc characters are used to designate the same parts andelements throughout and in which l0, refers to my invention in itsentirety and II, indicates a carriage in the form of a tank, the front,bottom and rear wall [2. l3 and I4, and the side walls [5 and it, ofwhich are provided at the front and rear ends l! and I8, ofthe tank atthe bottom with inwardly extending arcuate portions I9 and 20, whichform outer recesses 2| and 22, within which are mounted transverserollers 23 and 24, which perform the plurality of functions ofsupporting the tank, providing traction means there- "for, guides for anendless scrubbing belt 25, and

means for directing the belt flat and straight upon a floor surfaceunder said bottom wall t3.

The wall 12, of the tank inclines to the driving roller 26, mounted uponthe forward upper end 21, of the tank. Mounted above the roller 26, is aframe 28, within each end29 and 30, of which are provided invertedU-shaped bearing blocks 3| and 32, for the ends 33 and 34, of shaft 35,upon which an adjustable friction roller 36, operates.

The endless belt 25, is trained upon the rollers 24, 23, 26, 31 and 38,the latter being supported upon the upper rear end 39, of the tank H.The roller 26, is the driving means for the belt and the roller 33,directly over the same and adapted to bear upon the belt 25, as itpasses between the two latter rollers. Adjustable tension of roller 35,upon the belt and through the same upon roller 25, is had by means ofadjustment screws 43 and 4!, operating through the ends 42 and 43, ofthe top plate 44, of frame 28, and bearing upon the heads 45, of theblocks 3| and 32. The amount of water carried by belt 25, from the tankH, is readily controllable by changing the pressure on screws 40 and 4|,which exert pressure on metal plates 45, which in turn transmit pressureto roller shaft 35, through wooden blocks 3| and 32. The amount ofpressure thus exerted between rollers 26 and 36, regulates the amount ofwater carried by belt 25. However, to dry the floor the roller 36, isforced down to squeeze all excess water from the belt.

The roller 31, performs the double function of tensioning the belt 25,upon the various rollers over which it operates, and is a scrubbingroller for cleaning dirt from the belt as it passes through the watercontained in the tank as the roller i held immersed in the water by itsbearing arms 53 and 54, held vertically in the tank by guides 55 and56', the intermediate portion of which are provided with upwardlyinclined ratchet teeth 55 and 55, adapted for vertical adjustableconnection with downwardly inclined ratchet teeth 5! and 58, formed onthe inner upper surfaces 59 and fiiL'o-f the walls l5 and It. The upperterminal ends 6i and 62, are formed into hand-holds whereby said arms 53and 54, which are of resilient material, may be drawn in toward oneanother to release connection with said sets of ratchet teeth in orderto withdraw the roller 31, from the tank. It is only necessary to pressdown upon the handles SI and 62, in order to increase tension of roller31, upon the scrubbing belt 25.

When the roller 31, is removed from the tank and head 84, is releasedfrom catch 83, the frame 28, may be raised upon its hinge 48 and 50, bymeans of which its end 30, is attached to bracket 65, fastened on theupper edge 66, of said wall l5, whereupon the belt 25, may be readilyremoved from the rollers 38, 26, 23 and 2 by merely passing the beltover the side IE, or the tank in order to wash out and dry the belt orfor installing a new belt in reverse manner.

From the rear wall I l, of the tank extends an extension 67, forming apassageway 68, through which the rear part 23, of the belt 25, moves,and projecting from the wall 61, is fixed the base 10, of an electricmotor II, the shaft 12, of which is provided with a V-pulley 13, forreceiving a V- belt 14, which is also trained over the much largerV-pulley 75, mounted on the end of shaft 34, whereby the roller 26, isdriven.

To the upper edge 16, of wall 67, is attached the terminals H and 18, ofa U-shaped yoke 19, to the center of head 80, of which is secured theend 8!, of a handle 82, by means of which the machine it, may be heldback from too rapid forward travel. 7

The end 29, of member 28, is provided with a catch 83, to be engaged bythe head 89, of a link 85, pivoted to a bracket 86, on wall 16, wherebythe member 28, is secured in closed down position. A guard 31, providesmeans to prevent water being drawn up by the belt 25, from splashing outof the tank. The roller 31, may be provided with a seriesof peripheralslots 88, which are arcuate and incline from the center 88' of theroller toits outer edges. In passing under the roller the outer surfaceof the belt 25, carrying dirt and dirty Water will be cleaned thereof bythe action of the roller and will be carried through the slots thereinto their outer ends and discharged into the body of water. Hub caps 93,94, etc., are provided to enclose ends 95 and 96, of the rollers. Thesecaps are secured to the side walls 15 and [6, of the tank by means ofrivets or screws 97, and form bearings for the pintles 98 and 99, of therollers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided afloor washingmachine which is selfpropelled, by a scrubbing endless crawler beltwhich acts as both washer and dryer of a floor and which is cleanedwithin the tank as it operates and which can be quickly and easilyremoved therefrom for more thorough cleansing and drying. It is soformed that it will operate close to a wall and in corners making it aneflicient cleaner, one easy to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such ascome within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, inactual practice, if desired.

Having now described my invention that which I claim as new and desireto procure by Letters Patent is:

l. A combination floor washer and drier comprising a tankhaving oppositesides and ends and a bottom, said tank being shaped to form transverselyextending arcuate bearing recesses in its lower opposite ends, pintlesand guide rollers supported therein, hub caps for said rollers formingbearings for said pintles, a driven roller mounted transversely of saidtank at its forward end, an

idler roller at the rear of said tank, a belt mount ed over all of saidrollers extending in contact with the lower surface of the tank bottom,means for driving said driven roller, a step by step Ver ticallyadjustable combined belt tensiom'ng and scrubbing roller adjustablymounted transverse= ly of said tank contacting said belt between thedriven and idler rollers, flexible arms for supporting said belttensioning and scrubbing roller. toothed racks formed on the inneropposite walls of said tank, and locking teeth on said flexible arms foradjustably engaging said racks.

2. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, and said flexible armsbeing adapted to be flexed inwardly to disengage the locking teeththereon from said racks to remove said belt tensioning and scrubbingroller from said tank. 7

CHESTER L. OSENBAUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,179,427 Hauck Apr. 18, 19161,310,296 Rogers July 15, 1919 1,554,070 Greasy Sept. 15, 1925 1,941,690Janchan Jan. 2, 1934 2,088,246 Nelson July 27, 1937 2,153,686 Deegan, SrApr. 11, 1939 2,268,073 Hunn et a1. Dec. 30, 1941

